Folding coop or crate



(N9 Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

O. TERRY. FOLDING O00]? OR-GRATE.

Patented Aug. 17

(No Mpdel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. TERRY.

FOLDING COOP 0R CRATE.

No. 588,368. Patented Aug. 17, 1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ow'EN TERRY, OF TUSOOLA, ILLINOIS.

FOLDING COOP OR CRATE.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 588,368, dated August 17, 1897.

- Application filetl April 15,1297. Serial No. 632,316. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OWEN TERRY, of Tuscola, in the county of Douglas and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Coops or Crates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in folding coops or crates;and it consists in the construction and arrangement ofparts, which will be fully described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a folding coop or crate which can be quickly knocked down and packed in a small space to be returned to the shipper and as quickly put together to form a good substantial coop or crate for shipping purposes. A coop of this character will be much more convenient to handle when not in use for holding the fowls' or other contents both for the owner and for the railroad or express companies in returning them.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a coop which embodies my invention, the same being shown set up for use. Fig. 2 is an edge view showing'the coop knocked down when not in use. Fig. 3 is a similar View taken at right angles to Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of one corner of the coop, showing the particular form of hinge used. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view, partly in section, showing the interlocking feature between the ends and sides and the top and-also the pins for holding them together. Figsf 6 and 7 are detail views showing the headed members or screws for uniting the meeting edges of the bottom to the sides. Fig. Sis an enlarged perspective view of a section of the meeting edges of the bottom, showing the recesses therein for the uniting headed member or screw.

Referring now to the drawings, A indicates the bottom, which consists of two sections, as shown, which are hinged at their outer edges, respectively, to the opposite end sections B through the medium of suitable hinges 0, thus uniting the bottom and end sections together, so that they will fold one over the other when the parts have been separated. v

The side sections D are hinged at diagonally opposite corners to the end sections B through the medium of peculiar hinges, which will enable the sides to be folded around backward and over the end sections. The hinges consist of eyes 6, which are inserted in the corners of the end sections, as illustrated, and of the elongated loops b, which have their ends secured into the end and top and bottom rails, respectively, of the side sections.

Sections H constitute the top, and these sections are hinged together at their inner meeting edges by means of hinges I, and their corners are provided with vertical openings 2, which receive vertical projections (1, formed upon the end sections B. Passing-through these projections and the top sections are the securing or uniting pins m, which are preferably secured by means of strings or chains 71, so that they will always be in place. These pins are removable, so that whendrawn outward either section of the top may be hinged back to permit access to the coop or crate or when in knocking the coop down all of the pins are detached and the top removed, as will be more fully described farther on. The side sections are provided with pins or projectiousr, which enter corresponding recesses in the end sections,and these pins serve to hold the side sections at their free ends against any lateral displacement when the end sections are held in place by the tops engaging the projections d, as before describe Headed members If depend from the bottom rails of the side sections at their centers and engage recesses 5, formed in the outer sides of the meeting edges of the bottom sections A, so that the free meeting edges of the bottoms are firmly held in place against both lateral and outward displacement thereby. These members are here shown as consisting of screws; but this may be otherwise, if desired, so long as the members are adapted to interlock with the meetingv and free inner edges of the bottom. The recesses s are formed with open outer sides, so that when the free or swinging ends of the side sections are released the headed projections or members 25 will freely swing outward and release the free ends of the bottom sections, as will be readily understood.

I have referred to the sections B as the end sections and the sections D as the side sections; but it will be understood that this depends upon the shape of the coop or crate and that it can be so shaped that this would be changedthat is to say, so that the sections D would be the end sections and the sections B the side sections-without in any manner affecting the spirit of my invention.

A coop constructed as above is readily knocked down by removing the pins m, detachin g the top, and moving outward the end sections to permit the swinging ends of the side sections to be free. By swinging the side sections outward the meeting edges of the bottom sections will be free, and the parts of the coop or crate can then be folded together, as shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A folding crate comprising a bottom, end sections hinged to opposite sides of the bottom and adapted to fold inward thereon, side sections one hinged to one end section and the other to the other end section by vertical hinges and adapted to fold outward and around against the outer sides of the end sec tions, a detachable top having at its corners vertical openings, vertical projections on the end sections adapted to enter the said vertical openings of the top, and transverse securin g-pins passing through the top and the said projections, substantially as described.

2. A folding crate comprising a two-part bottom, end sections hinged at the outer sides respectively of the bottom sections and adapted to fold thereupon, side sections hinged to swingoutward and extending transverse and tical hinges and adapted to swing outward and around against the outer side of the end sections, the side sections extending across the bottom sections and provided with a downwardly-extending headed projection, the bottom sections being cut away at their meeting edges to form the openings 3 for the reception of the headed projections, and a top uniting and holding the end and side sections in position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

O\V EN TERRY.

Witnesses:

HORACE WORTHAM, CHAS. L. SHoULE. 

